liquidsanity (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} liquidsanity) wrote,@ 2006-12-11 17:15:00 |
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| Current mood: |  busy |
| Entry tags: | fic |
The Coldest of the Cool / The Lamest of the Lame: Part 2
Title: The Coldest of the Cool / The Lamest of the Lame
Author: liquidsanity
Requested by: prpl_pen
Rating: PG
Pairing: Tatsuki/Soi Fong
A/N: The title is a lyric from Queer by Garbage. Thanks to bebopsamurai for help with the beta during exams.
Part 2: Shiny Things
The next morning was a Saturday. Slightly after dawn Soi Fong could be found sitting on the roof of the little school gym waiting for her interest to show up. It was not long before she heard the jingle of keys and the sound of one of the large front doors being swung open. She tore her gaze away from the birds, rolled onto her feet and dropped down through a nearby window.
Tatsuki was only mildly surprised to see to see the death god standing in the middle of the hall, arms crossed and waiting.
"Do the dead sleep?" she asked with a yawn as she walked straight past the woman towards the bleachers.
"I'm not dead, I have a body made of spirit particles," Soi Fong snapped. "I happen to have been born in the other world.”
The two women turned to face each other, arms across their chests and dark eyes narrowed in mirrored expressions that only stopped just short of a glare.
"People can be born in the land of the dead?" Tatsuki asked with a twist of her head.
"It’s Soul Society, not The Land of the Dead. Think of it as another dimension. One you guys tend to end up in… if you're not eaten first," Soi finished, smiling derisively.
"Whatever,” Tatsuki replied with a wave of her hand. “What do you want from me?"
"Yesterday, you indicated you wanted to throw your life away. I was going to offer to help."
"To help me throw it away?"
"Technically to train you. Whether such training will shorten your lifespan or lengthen it, I can’t be certain."
"To train me? Why? You don't seem the type to get down and dirty with humans."
"You remind me of someone." Soi Fong replied coolly, keeping her temper in check. Apart from being so damn rude…
"Oh really?" Tatsuki replied with a snort. Something about this woman’s attitude was really starting to piss her off. "You've read me have you?"
"Perhaps… Do you feel like you're too weak? Like you'd be willing to do anything, but there's nothing you can do, to protect her?"
"Yes." Easy answer. That was pretty much what they'd covered in their last short conversation.
"Has she ever had to save you?"
Tatsuki’s gaze dropped to the floor as the shameful memory sapped her strength to look back into those cold hard eyes.
"Yes..." she sighed.
"Has she ever left you behind?"
Ooh... Tatsuki tensed. That question brought pain, pain and anger. But on the strength of that anger she willed herself to meet this undead woman's sneer. To her surprise as their eyes met the steel softened, replaced by an expression of sympathy and old pain. Tatsuki murmured her answer.
"Yes."
Soi Fong's voice, softening like her eyes, lost its confrontational tone.
"Do you now train every day like your life depended on it, because it does. Because protecting her was the only thing that gave your life meaning and you desperately want to believe that if only you could become strong enough, stronger than before, you would be allowed to return to her side?"
"..."
Tatsuki stared wide-eyed. It was impossible to form a reply with her jaw hanging so low it was almost dislocated.
Soi Fong realized she'd perhaps said a little too much and coughed slightly to cover her embarrassment. Reaching into her clothing she pulled out a bundle of cloth containing some pilfered items from Urahara's weapon store.
"We talked about weapons,” she explained gesturing with the small bundle. "These are all made of spirit particles making them far sharper and stronger than your normal steel. You might even be able to put more of an edge on them, but that will be difficult, seeing as they aren’t part of your soul.”
She unrolled the cloth to show it held a series of knives.
“Firstly, throwing daggers. They can't kill, but they can be useful for slowing your opponent down and for distractions."
Tatsuki nodded and reaching forward pulled one of the small daggers from the cloth. Hefting it slightly to find its weight she turned around and flung the weapon at the other side of the gym. With a soft clunk it imbedded in the middle of the basketball board.
"Your precision is another reason you're suited to edged distance weapons," Soi Fong remarked before continuing.
"To kill a Hollow you need cut through its mask. In the right place a single stab will suffice. There isn't actually a need to slice it in half. Swords lose power with length and with your small strength you'll need to throw your whole bodyweight behind the blade if you want to pierce thick bone."
Unrolling the last bit of cloth revealed a long Tanto. Tatsuki's mouth made a small 'o' of approval as she hesitantly reached forward to take what looked like a shortened Katana.
"Understand that, while with these it might be possible to kill a Hollow, getting in close enough to deal damage is very dangerous. Any attack you make is practically a suicide attack."
Tatsuki nodded numbly, still admiring the shiny 12-inch blade.
The next morning was a Saturday. Slightly after dawn Soi Fong could be found sitting on the roof of the little school gym waiting for her interest to show up. It was not long before she heard the jingle of keys and the sound of one of the large front doors being swung open. She tore her gaze away from the birds, rolled onto her feet and dropped down through a nearby window.
Tatsuki was only mildly surprised to see to see the death god standing in the middle of the hall, arms crossed and waiting.
"Do the dead sleep?" she asked with a yawn as she walked straight past the woman towards the bleachers.
"I'm not dead, I have a body made of spirit particles," Soi Fong snapped. "I happen to have been born in the other world.”
The two women turned to face each other, arms across their chests and dark eyes narrowed in mirrored expressions that only stopped just short of a glare.
"People can be born in the land of the dead?" Tatsuki asked with a twist of her head.
"It’s Soul Society, not The Land of the Dead. Think of it as another dimension. One you guys tend to end up in… if you're not eaten first," Soi finished, smiling derisively.
"Whatever,” Tatsuki replied with a wave of her hand. “What do you want from me?"
"Yesterday, you indicated you wanted to throw your life away. I was going to offer to help."
"To help me throw it away?"
"Technically to train you. Whether such training will shorten your lifespan or lengthen it, I can’t be certain."
"To train me? Why? You don't seem the type to get down and dirty with humans."
"You remind me of someone." Soi Fong replied coolly, keeping her temper in check. Apart from being so damn rude…
"Oh really?" Tatsuki replied with a snort. Something about this woman’s attitude was really starting to piss her off. "You've read me have you?"
"Perhaps… Do you feel like you're too weak? Like you'd be willing to do anything, but there's nothing you can do, to protect her?"
"Yes." Easy answer. That was pretty much what they'd covered in their last short conversation.
"Has she ever had to save you?"
Tatsuki’s gaze dropped to the floor as the shameful memory sapped her strength to look back into those cold hard eyes.
"Yes..." she sighed.
"Has she ever left you behind?"
Ooh... Tatsuki tensed. That question brought pain, pain and anger. But on the strength of that anger she willed herself to meet this undead woman's sneer. To her surprise as their eyes met the steel softened, replaced by an expression of sympathy and old pain. Tatsuki murmured her answer.
"Yes."
Soi Fong's voice, softening like her eyes, lost its confrontational tone.
"Do you now train every day like your life depended on it, because it does. Because protecting her was the only thing that gave your life meaning and you desperately want to believe that if only you could become strong enough, stronger than before, you would be allowed to return to her side?"
"..."
Tatsuki stared wide-eyed. It was impossible to form a reply with her jaw hanging so low it was almost dislocated.
Soi Fong realized she'd perhaps said a little too much and coughed slightly to cover her embarrassment. Reaching into her clothing she pulled out a bundle of cloth containing some pilfered items from Urahara's weapon store.
"We talked about weapons,” she explained gesturing with the small bundle. "These are all made of spirit particles making them far sharper and stronger than your normal steel. You might even be able to put more of an edge on them, but that will be difficult, seeing as they aren’t part of your soul.”
She unrolled the cloth to show it held a series of knives.
“Firstly, throwing daggers. They can't kill, but they can be useful for slowing your opponent down and for distractions."
Tatsuki nodded and reaching forward pulled one of the small daggers from the cloth. Hefting it slightly to find its weight she turned around and flung the weapon at the other side of the gym. With a soft clunk it imbedded in the middle of the basketball board.
"Your precision is another reason you're suited to edged distance weapons," Soi Fong remarked before continuing.
"To kill a Hollow you need cut through its mask. In the right place a single stab will suffice. There isn't actually a need to slice it in half. Swords lose power with length and with your small strength you'll need to throw your whole bodyweight behind the blade if you want to pierce thick bone."
Unrolling the last bit of cloth revealed a long Tanto. Tatsuki's mouth made a small 'o' of approval as she hesitantly reached forward to take what looked like a shortened Katana.
"Understand that, while with these it might be possible to kill a Hollow, getting in close enough to deal damage is very dangerous. Any attack you make is practically a suicide attack."
Tatsuki nodded numbly, still admiring the shiny 12-inch blade.
----------------------------------------
A few minutes later the two women faced off across the gym. Tatsuki stood with her new Tanto in one hand and the small blades tucked into a sash around her waist. Soi Fong had located a stash of small beanbags the tips of which could be seen poking their multicoloured tongues out from the various pockets she had sewn into her clothing.
“We never made it to introductions did we? What’s your name girl?”
“Shouldn’t you introduce yourself first?” Tatsuki huffed.
“Very well, I am Soi Fong, Captain of the Second Division of the Gotai 13 and Supreme Commander of the Secret Mobile Corpse.”
“Uh, Ok… I’m Arisawa Tatsuki, um… High school freshman, uh… runner up in Under 15s National Karate Championship.”
Soi nodded a curt acknowledgement and Tatsuki hoped that her own introduction had made as little sense to the small woman as whatever the hell that “Supreme Commander” stuff had been about.
“The focus of this exercise will be learning to avoid attack. Your purpose is to not get hit. Use your weapons if you like, but the best defense is not being where the attack is. We’ll stop when you can’t move.”
That said, Soi Fong pulled out a purple beanbag and threw it straight at Tatsuki’s face. It was the last time she got a clear view of the small woman. Tatsuki countered with a dagger and watched in amazement as her teacher disappeared mere moments before she would have been hit between the eyes by the skewered bag. At first they came in ones or twos from similar directions and were easily avoided, but it was not long before the game sped up.
Tatsuki dodged left to avoid a red furry bag and flipped backwards to evade a blue, green, orange trio. However the place where she was supposed to be landing had already been targeted by something with pink polka dots. As she twisted in midair to let it pass by she was struck in the back of the head so hard her vision blanked. Untangling herself from the heap she had landed in, she staggered to her feet holding her tender head and cursing under her breath.
“Ow! It’s only a beanbag! Why does it hurt?”
The response echoed from multiple directions.
“Pain is a good motivator. Get used to it or move faster.”
Tatsuki shrugged off the headache and readied herself for the next attack. Soi Fong smiled down from a rafter. She had been secretly fusing the beans together each time she held a bag in her hand. Really, she thought, how did this school teach anyone to dodge properly with such soft projectiles?
As promised when Tatsuki could no longer move the barrage stopped. Soi Fong lifted her disheveled charge to her feet and helped her to the bleachers. The girl had lasted an impressively long time and Soi had observed reasonable improvement in spatial senses and danger awareness.
Tatsuki squinted up at the blurry figure holding her somewhat upright on the bench
“I… hurt…everywhere,” she groaned before chuckling softly. She tried to straighten her posture, but winced as more muscles than she thought she owned gave protest.
“Ow…” she muttered, then emitted another low chuckle.
Soi Fong smiled down at the dark head resting on her shoulder.
“Feels good doesn’t it?” she remarked.
“Huh? Yeah…Strange.”
“You don’t train as long and as hard as we do without starting to enjoy pain,” Soi said softly.
It was a good pain. The deep pain of muscles and sinews pushed past their braking point. It was the pain of a body that would wake up stronger tomorrow. Pain that meant you were one step closer to your dream. Pain that for once was everywhere except your heart.
They rested like that for a while. Soi Fong had to turn her head away, because the spiky hair was getting up her nose. She was perfectly capable of ignoring the cleavage revealed by slipping bandages without needing to gaze off though a ceiling window. Hmm… birds.
“I…think I can move now,” Tatsuki groaned after an unknown length of time.
“That’s it for today. Is you house far?” Soi Fong asked.
“No, but I need a shower first,” Tatsuki muttered.
“You can’t stand up on your own,” Soi Fong reminded her.
“Oh yeah… bath it is then. Unless…”
“Bath it is then.” Soi Fong quickly cut her off.
Tatsuki gazed up with a playfully disappointed look on her face. This woman had literally just pummeled her into the ground; she was allowed to push buttons.
They gathered her things, tidied away the now somewhat altered beanbags and then staggered outside. Before the semi-corporeal pair set off into the late afternoon Tatsuki straightened as much as she could and set an expression on her face that clearly stated to any passer by: *No I am not leaning on an invisible woman*.
“We never made it to introductions did we? What’s your name girl?”
“Shouldn’t you introduce yourself first?” Tatsuki huffed.
“Very well, I am Soi Fong, Captain of the Second Division of the Gotai 13 and Supreme Commander of the Secret Mobile Corpse.”
“Uh, Ok… I’m Arisawa Tatsuki, um… High school freshman, uh… runner up in Under 15s National Karate Championship.”
Soi nodded a curt acknowledgement and Tatsuki hoped that her own introduction had made as little sense to the small woman as whatever the hell that “Supreme Commander” stuff had been about.
“The focus of this exercise will be learning to avoid attack. Your purpose is to not get hit. Use your weapons if you like, but the best defense is not being where the attack is. We’ll stop when you can’t move.”
That said, Soi Fong pulled out a purple beanbag and threw it straight at Tatsuki’s face. It was the last time she got a clear view of the small woman. Tatsuki countered with a dagger and watched in amazement as her teacher disappeared mere moments before she would have been hit between the eyes by the skewered bag. At first they came in ones or twos from similar directions and were easily avoided, but it was not long before the game sped up.
Tatsuki dodged left to avoid a red furry bag and flipped backwards to evade a blue, green, orange trio. However the place where she was supposed to be landing had already been targeted by something with pink polka dots. As she twisted in midair to let it pass by she was struck in the back of the head so hard her vision blanked. Untangling herself from the heap she had landed in, she staggered to her feet holding her tender head and cursing under her breath.
“Ow! It’s only a beanbag! Why does it hurt?”
The response echoed from multiple directions.
“Pain is a good motivator. Get used to it or move faster.”
Tatsuki shrugged off the headache and readied herself for the next attack. Soi Fong smiled down from a rafter. She had been secretly fusing the beans together each time she held a bag in her hand. Really, she thought, how did this school teach anyone to dodge properly with such soft projectiles?
As promised when Tatsuki could no longer move the barrage stopped. Soi Fong lifted her disheveled charge to her feet and helped her to the bleachers. The girl had lasted an impressively long time and Soi had observed reasonable improvement in spatial senses and danger awareness.
Tatsuki squinted up at the blurry figure holding her somewhat upright on the bench
“I… hurt…everywhere,” she groaned before chuckling softly. She tried to straighten her posture, but winced as more muscles than she thought she owned gave protest.
“Ow…” she muttered, then emitted another low chuckle.
Soi Fong smiled down at the dark head resting on her shoulder.
“Feels good doesn’t it?” she remarked.
“Huh? Yeah…Strange.”
“You don’t train as long and as hard as we do without starting to enjoy pain,” Soi said softly.
It was a good pain. The deep pain of muscles and sinews pushed past their braking point. It was the pain of a body that would wake up stronger tomorrow. Pain that meant you were one step closer to your dream. Pain that for once was everywhere except your heart.
They rested like that for a while. Soi Fong had to turn her head away, because the spiky hair was getting up her nose. She was perfectly capable of ignoring the cleavage revealed by slipping bandages without needing to gaze off though a ceiling window. Hmm… birds.
“I…think I can move now,” Tatsuki groaned after an unknown length of time.
“That’s it for today. Is you house far?” Soi Fong asked.
“No, but I need a shower first,” Tatsuki muttered.
“You can’t stand up on your own,” Soi Fong reminded her.
“Oh yeah… bath it is then. Unless…”
“Bath it is then.” Soi Fong quickly cut her off.
Tatsuki gazed up with a playfully disappointed look on her face. This woman had literally just pummeled her into the ground; she was allowed to push buttons.
They gathered her things, tidied away the now somewhat altered beanbags and then staggered outside. Before the semi-corporeal pair set off into the late afternoon Tatsuki straightened as much as she could and set an expression on her face that clearly stated to any passer by: *No I am not leaning on an invisible woman*.
----------------------------------------
Tatsuki was asleep on her feet by the time they made it to the house. Soi Fong briefly considered leaving her propped up against the door before a small voice in her head piped up, At least get her inside.
Once through the door she was about to set the girl down on the carpet, but the voice spoke again, The bathroom’s probably up those stairs, she’ll never make it on her own.
Tatsuki woke briefly as she was being carried up the stairs and managed a weak, “Look Mum, I’m levitating…” before passing out again.
“Heh-mmph…snort,” was Soi Fong’s unsuccessful attempt to prevent the escape of an alarmingly undignified giggle.
She repeatedly tried to school her features back into her trademark Look of Distain, but much to her annoyance could not erase the small smile that clung to her lips.
At the top of the stairs she found the bathroom two doors to the left. Gently setting her charge down against the laundry basket she started to draw a bath. She was almost out the door before the little voice again prevented escape/exit. The medicine, it whispered.
Oh yeah, she remembered. She’d meant to give it to the girl so they’d stand a chance of training tomorrow. She emptied a strange smelling sachet into the hot water and with a sigh sat on the edge of the bath observing the slumped form. She really should just leave.
But she’ll probably just sleep there until the water gets cold, piped the voice.
Oh shut up, Soi thought. If the girl was so weak she couldn’t stay conscious after a day of training what did she care?
If she doesn’t soak she won’t be able to move tomorrow.
Well, that’s the frailty of the human body.
You were the one that pounded her into the ground.
So? It was training. Training I shouldn’t even be bothering with.
You’re making excuses.
No I’m not.
Yes you are.
No I’m not.
Then just strip her down and put her in the bath.
Uhh…
See. SHE would laugh at you for being squeamish.
SHE would wouldn’t she?
Yes.
Okay, I’ll do it… but what if she wakes up?
Squeamish Little Bee
All right! Fine! Just shut up.
The little voice chuckled gently in her mind before subsiding into silence.
Soi Fong remembered to lock the door before picking up the prone girl and stripping off her gi. Holding her upright and undoing the breast bindings proved next to impossible until Soi remembered she could just sit her down again. Tatsuki moaned slightly as the basket pressed into a sore point on her back. The little Captain caught herself holding her breath and forced some of her clenched muscles to relax. She felt irritated by her nervousness, but for her encounters on the battlefield were one thing, encounters in the bathroom were, well, something else.
Feeling slightly more in charge of her scattered emotions Soi Fong gently unwound the loosened bandages and let a sizable, perfectly round, bust swing free. She had to resist the urge to run her fingers down planes of finely toned muscle, still clearly defined despite their relaxed state. She wondered if the girl even knew how attractive she was. Probably not, Soi thought. She possessed a primal sort of femininity that skipped aesthetics and spoke directly to the hindbrain.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts Soi Fong scooped up the girl and shucked the final cotton barrier to nudity. Lowering the unconscious form gently into the bath, she turned off the water and then arranged limp limbs in such a fashion that the girl hopefully wouldn’t drown before the medicine revived her.
Smiling with relief that she hadn’t had to deal with an irate half-naked martial artist, Soi Fong reached down and tenderly stroked a soft cheek. Fluttering of eyelids warned the death god that it was finally time to take her leave.
Tatsuki opened her eyes to catch the final glimpse of her sensei’s back retreating through the bathroom door. She smiled at the warmth of the bath and the relief now flooding through her abused body.
Thanks, she said silently. Followed by, Gotta get me some more of this.
Once through the door she was about to set the girl down on the carpet, but the voice spoke again, The bathroom’s probably up those stairs, she’ll never make it on her own.
Tatsuki woke briefly as she was being carried up the stairs and managed a weak, “Look Mum, I’m levitating…” before passing out again.
“Heh-mmph…snort,” was Soi Fong’s unsuccessful attempt to prevent the escape of an alarmingly undignified giggle.
She repeatedly tried to school her features back into her trademark Look of Distain, but much to her annoyance could not erase the small smile that clung to her lips.
At the top of the stairs she found the bathroom two doors to the left. Gently setting her charge down against the laundry basket she started to draw a bath. She was almost out the door before the little voice again prevented escape/exit. The medicine, it whispered.
Oh yeah, she remembered. She’d meant to give it to the girl so they’d stand a chance of training tomorrow. She emptied a strange smelling sachet into the hot water and with a sigh sat on the edge of the bath observing the slumped form. She really should just leave.
But she’ll probably just sleep there until the water gets cold, piped the voice.
Oh shut up, Soi thought. If the girl was so weak she couldn’t stay conscious after a day of training what did she care?
If she doesn’t soak she won’t be able to move tomorrow.
Well, that’s the frailty of the human body.
You were the one that pounded her into the ground.
So? It was training. Training I shouldn’t even be bothering with.
You’re making excuses.
No I’m not.
Yes you are.
No I’m not.
Then just strip her down and put her in the bath.
Uhh…
See. SHE would laugh at you for being squeamish.
SHE would wouldn’t she?
Yes.
Okay, I’ll do it… but what if she wakes up?
Squeamish Little Bee
All right! Fine! Just shut up.
The little voice chuckled gently in her mind before subsiding into silence.
Soi Fong remembered to lock the door before picking up the prone girl and stripping off her gi. Holding her upright and undoing the breast bindings proved next to impossible until Soi remembered she could just sit her down again. Tatsuki moaned slightly as the basket pressed into a sore point on her back. The little Captain caught herself holding her breath and forced some of her clenched muscles to relax. She felt irritated by her nervousness, but for her encounters on the battlefield were one thing, encounters in the bathroom were, well, something else.
Feeling slightly more in charge of her scattered emotions Soi Fong gently unwound the loosened bandages and let a sizable, perfectly round, bust swing free. She had to resist the urge to run her fingers down planes of finely toned muscle, still clearly defined despite their relaxed state. She wondered if the girl even knew how attractive she was. Probably not, Soi thought. She possessed a primal sort of femininity that skipped aesthetics and spoke directly to the hindbrain.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts Soi Fong scooped up the girl and shucked the final cotton barrier to nudity. Lowering the unconscious form gently into the bath, she turned off the water and then arranged limp limbs in such a fashion that the girl hopefully wouldn’t drown before the medicine revived her.
Smiling with relief that she hadn’t had to deal with an irate half-naked martial artist, Soi Fong reached down and tenderly stroked a soft cheek. Fluttering of eyelids warned the death god that it was finally time to take her leave.
Tatsuki opened her eyes to catch the final glimpse of her sensei’s back retreating through the bathroom door. She smiled at the warmth of the bath and the relief now flooding through her abused body.
Thanks, she said silently. Followed by, Gotta get me some more of this.
